Matthew 4 · Verse 10

Matthew 4:10

Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
Matthew 4:10, King James Version

Matthew 4:10 in other translations

BSB“Away from Me, Satan!” Jesus declared. “For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’”
WEBThen Jesus said to him, “Get behind me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and you shall serve him only.’”
ASVThen saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
YLTThen saith Jesus to him, ‘Go--Adversary, for it hath been written, The Lord thy God thou shalt bow to, and Him only thou shalt serve.'
DARBYThen says Jesus to him, Get thee away, Satan, for it is written, Thou shalt do homage to the Lord thy God, and him alone shalt thou serve.
BBEThen said Jesus to him, Away, Satan: for it is in the Writings, Give worship to the Lord your God and be his servant only.
WebsterThen saith Jesus to him, Be gone, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

What does Matthew 4:10 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
10. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan--Since the tempter has now thrown off the mask, and stands forth in his true character, our Lord no longer deals with him as a pretended friend and pious counsellor, but calls him by his right name--His knowledge of which from the outset He had carefully concealed till now--and orders him off. This is the final and conclusive evidence, as we think, that Matthew's must be the right order of the temptations. For who can well conceive of the tempter's returning to the assault after this, in the pious character again, and hoping still to dislodge the consciousness of His Sonship, while our Lord must in that case be supposed to quote Scripture to one He had called the devil to his face--thus throwing His pearls before worse than swine? for it is written--(De 6:13). Thus does our Lord part with Satan on the rock of Scripture. Thou shalt worship--In the Hebrew and the Septuagint it is, "Thou shalt fear"; but as the sense is the same, so "worship" is here used to show emphatically that what the tempter claimed was precisely what God had forbidden. the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve--The word "serve" in the second clause, is one never used by the Septuagint of any but religious service; and in this sense exclusively is it used in the New Testament, as we find it here. Once more the word "only," in the second clause--not expressed in the Hebrew and the Septuagint--is here added to bring out emphatically the negative and prohibitory feature of the command. (See Ga 3:10 for a similar supplement of the word "all" in a quotation from De 27:26).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 10. Get thee hence. These temptations, and this one especially, our Saviour met with a decided rebuke. This was a bolder attack than any which had been offered. Others had been but an address to his necessities, and an offer of the protection of God in great danger; in both cases plausible, and in neither a direct violation of the law of God. Here was a higher attempt, a more decided and deadly thrust at the piety of the Saviour. It was a proposition that the Son of God should worship the devil, instead of honouring and adoring Him who made heaven and earth; that he should bow down before the prince of wickedness, and give him homage.

It is written. In De 6:13. Satan asked him to worship him. This was expressly forbidden. And Jesus therefore drove him from his presence.

(g) "Thou shalt worship" De 6:13, 1Sam 7:3

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 10 Get thee hence - Or, behind me, οπισω μου. This is added by a multitude of the best MSS., Versions, and Fathers. This temptation savoring of nothing but diabolical impudence, Jesus did not treat it as the others; but, with Divine authority, commanded the tempter to return to his own place. In the course of this trial, it appears that our blessed Lord was tempted, 1st. To Distrust. Command these stones to become bread. 2dly. To Presumption. Cast thyself down. 3dly. To worldly Ambition. All these will I give. 4thly. To Idolatry. Fall down and worship me, or do me homage. There is probably not a temptation of Satan, but is reducible to one or other of these four articles. From the whole we may learn: First. No man, howsoever holy, is exempted from temptation: for God manifested to the flesh was tempted by the devil. Secondly. That the best way to foil the adversary, is by the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, Eph 6:17. Thirdly. That to be tempted even to the greatest abominations (while a person resists) is not sin: for Christ was tempted to worship the Devil. Fourthly. That there is no temptation which is from its own nature, or favoring circumstances, irresistible. God has promised to bruise even Satan under our feet. As I wish to speak what I think most necessary on every subject, when I first meet it, and once for all, I would observe - First, That the fear of being tempted may become a most dangerous snare. Secondly, That when God permits a temptation or trial to come he will give grace to bear or overcome it. Thirdly, That our spiritual interests shall be always advanced, in proportion to our trials and faithful resistance. Fourthly, That a more than ordinary measure of Divine consolation shall be the consequence of every victory.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 4:1-11

Concerning Christ's temptation, observe, that directly after he was declared to be the Son of God, and the Saviour of the world, he was tempted; great privileges, and special tokens of Divine favour, will not secure any from being tempted. But if the Holy Spirit witness to our being adopted as children of God, that will answer all the suggestions of the evil spirit. Christ was directed to the combat. If we presume…

Read the full comment on Matthew 4:1-11 →

Matthew 4:10 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ΤότεToteThenG5119
λέγειlegeisaysG3004
αὐτῷautōto himG846
ὁho<the>G3588
Ἰησοῦς·IēsousJesus;G2424
ὕπαγεhupagedo go awayG5217
σατανᾶ·satanaSatan;G4567
γέγραπταιgegraptaiit has been writtenG1125
γάρ·garfor:G1063
κύριονkurion[The] LordG2962
τὸνtontheG3588
θεόνtheonGodG2316
σουsouof youG4771
προσκυνήσειςproskunēseisyou will worshipG4352
καὶkaiandG2532
αὐτῷautōHimG846
μόνῳmonōaloneG3441
λατρεύσεις.latreuseiswill you serve.’G3000

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Matthew 4:10

  • Deuteronomy 6:13-14

    Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name. Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you;

  • Deuteronomy 10:20

    Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name.

  • Joshua 24:14

    Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.

  • Luke 4:8

    And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

  • 1 Samuel 7:3

    And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.

  • James 4:7

    Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

  • Matthew 16:23

    But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.

  • 1 Peter 5:9

    Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

  • Zechariah 3:1-2

    And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?

  • Job 2:1

    Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the Lord.

  • Job 1:12

    And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.

  • 1 Chronicles 21:1

    And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Get.
16:23; Jas 4:7; 1Pe 5:9
Satan.
1Ch 21:1; Job 1:6,12; 2:1; Ps 109:6; Zec 3:1,2
Thou shalt.
De 6:13,14; 10:20; Jos 24:14; 1Sa 7:3; Lu 4:8

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Matthew 4:9

    And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

  • Matthew 4:10

    Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

  • Matthew 4:11

    Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

Read all of Matthew 4

Matthew 4:10 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Entonces Jesús le dice: Vete, Satanás, que escrito está: Al Señor tu Dios adorarás y á él solo servirás.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Alors Jésus lui dit: Va-t’en, Satan, car il est écrit: « Tu rendras hommage au ✶Seigneur ton Dieu, et tu le serviras lui seul ».
German
Elberfelder 1871		Da spricht Jesus zu ihm: Geh hinweg, Satan! denn es steht geschrieben: "Du sollst den Herrn, deinen Gott, anbeten und ihm allein dienen."
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Tunc dicit ei Jesus: Vade Satana: Scriptum est enim: Dominum Deum tuum adorabis, et illi soli servies.